The Price of a Future
by Mikauzoran
Summary: When a disturbing nightmare sends Conan running to Kaito for comfort, the young detective meets Akako, a witch who promises a solution to Shinichi's "little" problem. Only, what is this "price" she speaks of?
1. Mosaic Role

Mikau: Hello! Thank you so much for checking out this story! I saw a Shinichi and Conan parody someone had done of the video for Mosaic Role, and it inspired this chapter. The story's dark and angsty, but it'll have its sweet moments too. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, Yusaku, Toichi, and Kogoro never would have grown mustaches. If you notice, when Yusaku and Kogoro were young, they didn't have mustaches, and they looked pretty good. Now? Not so much. I guess I just don't like facial hair.

…

Mosaic Role

It was the strangest dream he had had in a while.

Conan was sitting on a bench, waiting for the bus and talking with the person next to him, as people sometimes did.

That wasn't what made it an unusual dream.

The odd part was that Shinichi wasn't Conan. Instead, he was looking at Conan through the eyes of the person his younger alter-ego was conversing with.

"It's fine, you know," the bespectacled boy was saying. "I've been expecting it for a while. I _know_ how much you hate me because _I_ hate me too. This body is useless. Sure, I've found ways of making it work for me, and thanks to Agasa Hakase's gadgets, I can function, but…"

"You want to be your _true_ self again," the other person responded. "You don't want to have to rely on those tools like a crutch. You want to be able to be with Ran. It's okay. I understand."

"I don't want words of comfort from someone like you!" the shrunken sleuth snapped.

"What do you mean?"

"Murderer," the grade schooler muttered, eyes narrowing. "You're going to kill me the instant that you have the opportunity. You'll tell everyone that Conan's parents came and took him to America with them. Then you'll forget all about me. Everyone will forget that I even existed in the first place!"

"In time, yes," the man replied levelly, and it was then that Shinichi noticed the gun in his hand. "You were never supposed to exist in the first place. I'd only be making things right again. You think so too, don't you?"

"No. Not anymore." Conan looked up at him with clear blue eyes full of determination. "Just because I wasn't born into this world like other people, doesn't mean that I don't have the right to exist! I have friends and people who care about me! I have a life, and you don't have the right to take that away from me!"

"But you said you wanted to be your _true_ self. You said that you hated that worthless form, and yet you also say that you don't want to disappear? Which is it? What do you really want?"

"I don't know," Conan whispered, looking down at his feet again.

"You can't have both."

The small brunette sighed, closing his eyes. "You've already made your decision, haven't you?"

"My choice was made the day you came into existence, and it hasn't changed at all since then. You should know. I've been trying to dispose of you from the start. I _despise _you."

Shinichi could feel the man smiling softly as he closed his eyes as well.

"Then do it."

When Shinichi's eyes opened again, he found himself looking out from behind Conan's glasses once more.

"Kill me," he heard the little detective whisper as he looked up through tears to face his attacker. "But…make it quick, Shinichi?"

Shinichi stared in horror from behind Conan's eyes as Kudo Shinichi himself pulled back the hammer of the gun pointed at his younger incarnation.

"With pleasure."

A shot rang out, painting the sidewalk crimson.

000

Conan woke with a start, and, after checking to make sure his brain hadn't really been spilled all over the pavement, he glanced at the clock.

Four AM—both too late and too early to call anyone for comfort and/or counseling.

He opted to text Kaito to request a meeting the next day after school.

The nutty magician (who he was pretty sure was the Kaitou Kid) always managed to make the former ace teen detective feel calm and less like the world was ending.

After sending the message, he closed his eyes and tried to return to the world of dreams, but disturbing phantoms of his previous vision kept floating through his head—Shinichi's sadistic grin and the smoking gun; Conan's limp form and unseeing eyes.

There would be no more rest for the great detective tonight.

…

(o)v(o)

Mikau: They're owl eyes…maybe. You see the beak? Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Please review, if you have the time. I'm very interested in knowing how this chapter was received. The first three-fourths was a little difficult to write; I hope it wasn't too confusing. Maybe it'll have to be read twice. Thank you very much for reading! Hope to see you next time!


	2. DuplicationFragmentation

Mikau: Greetings all. Thank you for returning to read the second chapter. Thanks so much to Questionable Answers, Bakathief, LMeg9.20, and DayDreaming0f y0u who reviewed. This chapter's a little longer, a little less creepy. Hopefully you'll enjoy it.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd put Heiji in a little more often. He's a funny guy. He serves to lighten the mood and break up the constant gloom of murder after murder after murder.

…

Duplication/Fragmentation

Conan ran to Ekoda High the minute school let out. He really needed to see his crazy friend as soon as possible.

The images in the nightmare had continued to haunt him throughout the day, and questions were plaguing his mind.

Was his subconscious trying to tell him that he was suicidal? Did he really hate Conan enough to want to kill him? Was Shinichi truly capable of murder? Was the dream just symbolic, or was he losing it?

In any case, he needed to talk to someone who would understand and not send him in for therapy or decide that being exposed to Mouri's detective work was not good for eight year-olds.

He needed a sympathetic ear, but he didn't want to worry Hattori who was too far away to be of much help. He didn't want to talk to Haibara, and he _couldn't_ talk to the kids about something so gruesome, so it looked like Kaito(u Kid) was the only man for the job.

The little detective waited as patiently as he could by the school gates, sighing intermittently.

Kaito would be along as soon as he could get away from his mop-wielding (girl)friend and that stuffy, pesky, British git. He'd pick Conan up and ruffle the boy's hair, laughing and grinning like his alter-ego.

Then everything would seem okay again.

When Kaito smiled, everything always seemed a little better.

"You're waiting for Kuroba-kun, aren't you?" a smooth, velvety voice purred, startling the shrunken sleuth and shaking him free from his thoughts.

Conan chuckled sheepishly, putting on a big, fake grin for the girl who had spoken to him. "How could you tell, Oneesan?"

"I know who you are," the young lady smiled softly, and it somehow looked sinister. "My good friend Lucifer told me about your situation."

Shinichi blinked.

The girl was very pretty with her nice curves and long, rosewood-colored hair, but she was obviously nuts.

The former high school detective wondered if everyone at Ekoda High had a few screws loose.

"I-I'm not sure what you're talking about, Oneesan. I'm just waiting for Kaito-niisan." Conan laughed nervously, hoping that the loony would go away and soon be replaced by the one he had come to see.

"Please," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Don't you get tired of pretending, Kudo-kun?"

Conan blinked.

"I see that I have your attention." The woman smiled, looking very much like a viper staring down a cornered mouse. "My name is Koizumi Akako, and I have the solution to your problem."

Shinichi dropped the pretense of innocent youth and glared at the girl in front of him. "Who are you really? How do you know about me?"

"I am who I say I am, and I am a very powerful witch." Akako shrugged. "I told you that my friend Lucifer told me about you. You've become involved with Kuroba-kun, and that makes you of interest to me…. I can help you for a price, but I'm through talking here. Follow me, if you're interested. Come or don't come; it's your choice." She flipped a scarlet strand of hair over her shoulder and began to walk away.

The skeptical detective followed, getting into the car that had been waiting on the side of the street for the witch.

"So…you say you can make me Shinichi again? Permanently?" Conan inquired as they drove off to the outskirts of town.

"For a price," Akako replied with a nod.

"Like…what? My firstborn child or something?" He wasn't quite sure how this worked in real life. One didn't run across witches every day (then, of course, one did not shrink to the size of a child every day either), but, in the stories, that tended to be the standard fare for a spell.

"What would I do with your firstborn child?" Akako snorted in the most dainty manner Shinichi had ever heard someone snort.

Conan shrugged. "I've never made a deal with a witch before. How should I know? Don't you people sacrifice humans or use blood in your spells or something?"

The redheaded didn't even bother dignifying that with a response. "The price for my cooperation is a lifetime of favors. I'll never ask you to do anything illegal, so do you think you can live your life being indebted to me?"

"You're not going to be annoying about it, are you?" The former teen narrowed his eyes at the witch. "Like, you're not going to call me at three in the morning and ask me to go buy you gum from the convenience store, are you?"

"No. I have minions to do that," she assured him.

"Then, yes."

"Excellent," Akako laughed as the car came to a stop in front of a gothic-looking mansion in the middle of the woods. "Follow me."

The door of the mansion was opened by a butler who looked like an old-school vampire—pointy ears and sallow skin, nothing like the sparkling vampires of today.

He greeted them with a bow and led the way to the underground lair.

"Leave us," Akako snapped once they had arrived.

The butler disappeared, and the witch set to work mixing a potion.

"You can have a seat over there." She indicated one of three stone alters at the far wall. "The spell will be ready in a few minutes."

"So…I just drink the potion, and poof! I'm Shinichi again?" Conan swung his legs back and forth as he chewed nervously on his lower lip.

"Yep," the sorceress responded, adding two drops of some purple liquid (Shinichi neither knew nor cared to know what it really was) to her cauldron. "Though, I should warn you that there's one more price you must pay for the magic to work."

"I thought I just owed you a lifetime of favors." Conan raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"That's the price you owe _me_ for making the potion for you. You have to give something of equal value in order to keep the cosmos in balance." She gave the concoction a stir before adding a strawberry. "For flavor," she explained.

"How big of a something are we talking?" The brunette started to shift nervously. "I mean…what kind of something do I have to give?"

"I'm not exactly sure. How much is your future as Kudo Shinichi worth to you?"

"_Everything,"_ he thought.

"It usually takes something that you treasure. People have lost sight, memories, special abilities or talents… It's always a very fair trade. People are usually satisfied in the end, though many have regretted their decisions." Akako glanced back at her guest. "Having second thoughts?"

"No," Conan laughed wryly. "I have so little to lose at this point."

"Very well." She ladled some of the oddly clear liquid from her cauldron into a glass and handed it to him. "Drink. All of it."

"It's going to taste nasty, isn't it?" he sighed, taking the glass and considering it.

"I'm afraid so." The witch smiled, not looking the least bit sorry at all.

Conan took a deep breath, held his nose, and drank it all in one gulp.

All of the sudden, his entire body felt like it was on fire. It was the same sensation he had felt when he had turned back previously, but this time it was coupled with another more intense pain. This time it felt like he was being ripped in two.

Conan screamed, and the world faded into darkness.

000

Shinichi groaned as he came to. He felt absolutely ill.

"Are you quite alright?" Akako stated flatly as she hovered over him. "You sounded like someone being drawn and quartered."

Shinichi didn't want to know how she knew what someone being drawn and quartered sounded like.

He blinked. "Am I me?"

"You've always been you, Kudo-kun." The witch rolled her eyes, stepping back as the Detective of the East sat up.

"It worked," Shinichi breathed, taking in the sight of his glorious eighteen year-old body. "Thank you. Thank you, Koizumi-san."

"First favor: don't hug me," the redhead stated quickly, retreating a little further. "You look like you're about to hug."

"This is amazing!" the proper-sized teen exclaimed while making sure that everything was in working order. He appeared to be all in one piece. "But…I wonder what the other price was. I expected it to make me a eunuch or take away my deductive reasoning or something, but I still seem to be in possession of all of my faculties."

"_Kudo Shinichi_ wasn't the one to pay the other price," Akako replied gravely.

The brunette frowned. "What do you mean? Who did then?"

The sorceress pointed to Shinichi's left.

The detective turned to look, and what he saw made the room start to spin.

There, lying unconscious on one of the other two alters was the body of Edogawa Conan.

Akako went over to the little boy just as he started to stir.

Conan blinked, whimpering a little as he regained awareness. He held his hand up in front of his face and sighed in utter defeat. "It didn't work."

Staring at the petite frame lying on the stone slab, Shinichi wondered if Conan had always been that small.

"Oh, it worked alright," Akako whispered. "Just, not for you. I'm sorry."

"What do you mean?" the miniature sleuth mumbled, struggling to get into a seated position.

The witch stepped away from the table and nodded towards Shinichi. "Apparently the only thing you had of equal value to your future as Kudo Shinichi _was_ your future as Kudo Shinichi. I've never seen anything like this happen before, though."

Conan froze, a look of absolute horror on his face when he saw his adult body staring back at him.

Shinichi gazed at his younger self in pity. "Is…he stuck like that?"

"I'm afraid so." This time the girl actually did look remorseful. "Those pills you've been taking to turn back up until now probably won't have any effect from this point on. Besides, even if he did turn back into Kudo Shinichi, there wouldn't be a place for him. _You_ are Kudo Shinichi, and there can only be one of you. He _is_ Edogawa Conan now."

The two brunettes stared at each other as everything sank in.

"I suppose it is only fair," Akako muttered.

"How the hell is that fair?" a new voice rang out, reverberating and bouncing off of the cavern walls.

It was enough to snap the three out of their collective trance, and they all looked to the stairway to see an out of breath, livid Kuroba Kaito.

…

**_l:::::l10/6**

. (^ . ^) **c\ /**

Mikau: I'm reusing my Mad Hatter just because I love him so much. I'd be happy if you loved him too. Now let's all have a collective "Poor Conan." I think it's one thing to be doomed to be Conan for the rest of your life but another matter entirely to be Conan and have to watch someone else be Shinichi. Poor kid. Thanks so much for reading. I'd be grateful if you took the time to send in some comments.


	3. The Clock Tower

Mikau: Hello again everyone. Thank you for returning for the third chapter. Thank you very much to meme, YouthfulLily, LMeg9.20, and DayDreaming0f y0u who reviewed. I think this chapter has a lot of good parts that I'm happy with, but, unfortunately, there are a lot of parts that I wished turned out better as well. Let me know what you think if you have the time or motivation. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I think I would've snapped and killed someone by now. He's been working on Conan since 1994. Eighteen years is a long time to have your mind consumed with nothing but new murder tricks. Must be stressful.

….

The Clock Tower

Kaito had always assumed that he would eventually end up married to Nakamori Aoko. Not that he really minded—Aoko was a peach. He loved her spunk, and she was the only one who accepted him as is, no matter what.

There was a certain amount of chemistry there too, so the magician had just assumed it was meant to be.

Then Kid happened.

Suddenly there was no one to talk to, and the secrets and the lies just kept piling up until he felt like he was drowning in them.

For the first time since his father had died, Kaito felt utterly alone.

There was now a divide between himself and Aoko like a deep gorge that he couldn't see the bottom of.

Try as he might, he could no longer reach her. There was nothing he could do to bridge the gap.

Aoko herself had even told him that he sometimes felt like a stranger to her.

And then there was Hakuba. He was actually nice once you got past the inverness coat and cocky attitude, and the dork of a detective had a soft spot for the inspector's daughter.

Aoko had seemed to take notice of the blonde as well.

They started dating, and Kaito saw fit to bow out gracefully while he still had his pride. He'd threatened the Englishman with bodily harm, should he ever cause Aoko to cry, and that was that.

That was the end of Kaito's first love.

He threw himself into his work after that. He didn't even try to love again.

After all, Aoko had been it. Who else could possibly make his heart race like she did when chasing him with a mop? She'd known him nearly his whole life. Who else could understand him like she did?

There was no one else out there for him, so he gave up on love. Besides, he had his job. It was time-consuming and dangerous, so perhaps it was better to be single anyway.

That's what he thought until the night he stole the clock tower.

He had done it for Aoko. Kaito still loved her immensely, despite trying to persuade himself otherwise, and he had done it to make her happy. He wouldn't admit it, but he'd done it for himself too.

The clock tower was their special place—he'd actually been planning to propose there someday—and he couldn't let it be destroyed.

Kaito hadn't been expecting to fall in love a second time at the same place.

That night was different from his other heists.

Hakuba had been called back to England to clean up someone else's mess, so Kid was expecting a cakewalk of an evening.

Needless to say, the thief was extremely surprised to be anticipated at every turn.

It was like someone was reading his mind.

They knew his every move and thought just as quickly as Kaito himself. They saw through him.

It was thrilling.

The chase was breathtaking, leaving Kaito giddy and craving more.

He'd finally found someone that could play on his level, someone who understood him. He'd met his match in Kudo Shinichi.

The next few weeks were spent on recon.

Kaito gathered everything he could about his antithesis including, but not limited to: case history, profile, pictures, hobbies, and likes and dislikes. He was very thorough in his methods.

Once he was sure that he understood the inner workings of his target's mind, he sent out a heist notice for the following week.

He waited in barely contained anticipation for his chance to face off with his newest obsession once again. He couldn't wait to feel the exhilaration of being hounded by Shinichi once more. He might even let the detective come close to catching him just to give the sleuth a glimpse of the thief in all of his glory.

But Shinichi never came.

Kaito tried not to let it get him down.

Maybe his detective was wrapped up in a difficult case?

It got harder and harder as the weeks wore on and the Detective of the East failed to make even a single appearance at one of Kid's heists.

The magician began to fear that maybe his crush hadn't felt the same way he had during the clock tower heist.

Maybe Shinichi hadn't found the kaitou as mentally stimulating as Kaito had the detective.

Weeks turned into months, and Kaito sank into depression. No matter what he stole—however big, expensive, or famous—every single heist had failed to attract the attention of the one he desired.

The answer to Kaito's problem came unexpectedly one day in March.

Hakuba was reading a book of riddles before the start of class.

The violet-eyed boy stared.

"Can I help you, Kuroba?" The Brit raised an eyebrow in suspicion, mentally preparing himself to be pranked.

"Detectives…like riddles, don't they?" the magician mumbled.

Hakuba blinked, wondering just what was going on inside of the Kid's head. "Yes. Most of them do."

Kaito nodded, a smirk blooming on his face. "Thanks."

The European detective had a _very_ bad feeling about that smirk.

Shortly after that seemingly harmless exchange, the Kaitou Kid started writing his heist notes in the form of riddles.

He thanked his lucky stars that Shinichi had rich classmates like Suzuki Sonoko to steal from, and he sent out his first riddle, hoping that the Suzukis would consult the great detective.

The result of his plan was slightly different than what he had imagined. Instead of Kudo Shinichi appearing on the roof of the Hyde City Hotel that night, there was only a grade schooler with glasses who bore an uncanny resemblance to his target.

After the Black Star heist ended in utter failure, Kaito did some investigating into this "Edogawa Conan, tantei sa."

In all honesty, the kid was finny-thingy. He was too smart, and it was obvious that he was hiding a calculating interior behind those oversized glasses. Plus, Conan made Kaito feel _giddy_.

It was the same feeling the thief got from matching wits with Shinichi, and he was no pedophile, so that left only one impossible option.

His suspicions were confirmed when found absolutely nothing on "Edogawa Conan." The boy hadn't existed up until about a year ago. That was also the time when Kudo Shinichi had dropped off of the face of the planet.

It wasn't hard for Kaito to put two and two together. Sure it was supposed to be impossible, but he was searching for a gem that cried tears of immortality. What was one high schooler shrinking compared to that?

So Kaito shifted his focus and learned to see past the glasses and chubby cheeks. It was Shinichi's mind he had fallen for in the first place anyway.

After a while, just seeing his beloved at heists wasn't enough. He wanted to sit down and talk with the other teen, to hang out, to become friends.

One night after a successful heist, Kaito decided to do something stupid.

"Excuse me. You're Edogawa Conan, aren't you?" he called out to the boy who was just leaving the crime scene. "I've seen your picture in the papers. You're the one who always stops Kid, aren't you? I'm a big fan." He put on his best smile as the shorter brunette turned around.

Conan blinked, staring at Kaito in suspicion. "You're my fan?"

The magician laughed, producing a red rose with a flick of his wrist. "No. I'm Kid's fan, but I admire your work. Good job tonight."

Conan blinked, taking the flower and inspecting it. "Did you want something from me?"

"Just…to hang out and chat, if that's alright?" The taller teen held his breath.

"You want to be my friend?" The pint-sized detective raised an eyebrow. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Kuroba Kaito. A magician…sa."

The shrunken Heisei Holmes rolled his eyes. "Is 'Kaito' seriously your real name?"

"Yeah. Why?"

With a shake of his head, Conan started to walk away. "It's just ironic, that's all. Come on; I'll let you buy me a cup of coffee."

After that, they had taken to meeting bi-monthly. Bi-monthly turned into weekly, and Thursday afternoons quickly became Kaito's favorite time of the entire week.

Half a year later, he'd found himself certifiably mad for the little detective, and he was pretty sure that Tantei-kun reciprocated the feelings at least a little bit.

Conan at least trusted the thief implicitly. It wasn't uncommon for the shrunken sleuth to confide in Kaito about things, so he wasn't really surprised when he received a 'can we talk?' text at four in the morning one day.

Worried, but not surprised.

The worry increased exponentially when one of his classmates told him that they had seen his 'cousin' get into a car with the witch after school the following day.

Kaito borrowed a bike and pedaled his hardest to that accursed mansion in the woods, calling Jii-chan for a ride home while en route. He arrived about thirty minutes later, ready to break the door down; he was pleasantly surprised when the scary butler welcomed him inside and willingly escorted him down into the dungeon.

His mind was in a state of panic the entire time. One of his greatest fears was that Akako would one day find out about Shinichi and try to do something to him in order to hurt Kaito. (She had a bad habit of trying to get to him through his loved ones.) He was afraid that day had finally come.

Our hero was shocked, to say the least, to find his love in two pieces. He stared silently, trying to understand what he was seeing, as he half-listened to what they were saying.

Shinichi was free to go, but Conan would be trapped in the body of an eight year-old forever.

It was too cruel.

"Akako, you put them back the way they were right this instant!" he found himself shouting.

"I-I can't." The startled witch raised her hands in defense.

Apparently she thought Kaito looked like he was about to get violent.

"It's done. I can't undo it." The redhead slowly backed away.

"FIND. A way," the magician growled.

"It's fine," a tiny voice whispered.

Everyone turned to look at Conan.

"It's okay," he repeated. "She warned me that there would be a price to pay—that I would lose something of equal value to what I gained—and…" The child looked sadly at his adult counterpart. "We can't make Ran wait any longer. Go be happy with her. Just…don't go back to being the way we were. Don't be selfish and arrogant anymore. Remember what you learned during your time as me, and be a better person in the future, okay? I'll never forgive you, if you go back to being the same Kudo Shinichi we were before."

Shinichi nodded, a grave expression on his face. "Don't worry. I understand now. I know what's really important, and I'll never forget…but…what about you?"

The smallest brunette shook his head. "I'll continue on like I have up until this point. There's nothing else I can do."

"Tantei-kun…" Kaito whispered, slowly approaching his little love.

The tiny sleuth smiled bitterly and looked away. "Hey, Kaito."

The magician looked at Shinichi as he picked Conan up. "Let's go. My ride should be here soon. I've got somewhere I want to go with Tantei-kun, but we'll drop you off at the Mouris' place."

"I'd appreciate the ride, Kaito." Shinichi smiled sheepishly, swinging his legs over the side of the stone altar.

The drive was quiet for the most part.

Shinichi gazed out one window while Conan stared blankly at the other from atop Kaito's lap. Jii-chan thankfully didn't ask any questions, and Kaito didn't volunteer any answers.

The older detective thanked them as he got out of the car. He spared Conan one last grim, guilty look before whispering, "Please take care of him," and turning to enter the Mouri Detective Agency.

Conan buried his face in Kaito's shoulder, biting his lip to keep from making a sound.

The younger teen held his beloved tight as his little body shook. "Everything I could possibly say to you sounds wrong. 'I'm sorry' is nothing more than empty sympathy, and 'It'll be okay' is just a lie. I wish I could make it better, but I'm powerless."

The former Kudo Shinichi shook his head, wiping the tears on the magician's sleeve. He started to laugh bitterly. "Sorry. I just…I don't even know how to feel right now. I'm empty and bitter and sad and angry and… Thanks. Just…thanks."

"You're welcome?" Kaito blinked, unsure of how to respond.

"You wanted to take me somewhere?" the Holmes fan looked up at the other teen, cocking his head to the side.

"Yeah. Actually, you can pull over here, Jii-chan. We can walk the rest of the way. Thanks for always going out of your way for me."

Conan looked around.

They had arrived at a park not far from Ekoda Station.

He raised an eyebrow at Kaito as the magician picked him up and started walking. He started to tear up again.

"I know…what it feels like to assume that things are going to turn out a certain way only for everything to be turned on its head," Kaito started, a little unsure of himself. "I know what it's like to love and lose to another guy. I've been lost and utterly alone. I've felt trapped. I've known my share of despair. I've felt hopeless. It's not exactly the same, but it's similar."

"Are you offering to lick my wounds, Kaito?" Conan chuckled softly, closing his eyes.

"Mmhm." The thief smiled, tightening his hold on the boy in his arms.

"Thanks."

It was silent for a while as they continued to walk.

"Kaito? How did you get over the heartbreak of losing Aoko-san to Hakuba-san?" the bespectacled boy asked after several minutes.

"I buried myself in work at first. It helped that Hakuba's a good guy. Seeing Aoko happy made it easier too. Then, one night, unexpectedly, I fell in love again." Kaito couldn't help but grin, thinking about that fateful meeting.

"You never told me that you had a girlfriend," Conan pouted accusatorially. "You've been holding out on me."

"I don't have a girlfriend," the thief laughed. "My love is still one-sided, but…it gives me hope. Tantei-kun, I know it sounds a little callus to tell you to get over Ran-san, but that's exactly what you should do. You don't have to let go right away or all at once, but, a little bit at a time, try to move on. I don't want you to miss out on your special someone just because you're still stuck on Ran-san. She wouldn't want that either."

"Thanks for the advice, but, unfortunately, I think it'll be a long time before I'm able to love again," the miniature gumshoe sighed. "Everyone my mental age is too old for my physical age, and everyone appropriate for my physical age makes me feel like a pedo."

"What about that mad scientist girl?" Kaito suggested.

"Haibara is…I'll keep the thought in reserve."

"What if you found someone who could see past your physical age and fall in love with your mind?" the magician dared to ask.

"Oh, if only such a person existed," Conan giggled, mood swinging wildly from one end of the spectrum to the other.

"What if I told you that they do exist?"

The detective blinked. "Oh? What's the catch? There's always a catch when someone says something too good to be true really is true."

"They're male."

Conan blinked, processed the information, and blinked again. "Kaito?"

"We're here," the magician announced, ignoring his love's piercing gaze.

The smaller brunette looked up at the clock tower. "Why here?"

"This is a special place for me. It's a place of new beginnings and second chances. This is the place where I met Aoko. This is the place where I met you. I've fallen in love twice here." He held his breath as he looked back at the little boy in his arms.

The look on the older teen's young face was pensive. At least there was no disgust.

Conan was silent, so Kaito took the initiative to speak. "I love you whether you're Kudo Shinichi or Edogawa Conan. Your appearance doesn't matter to me because I love you for _you_. If you think it's gross, you can just say so, and we'll go on being friends, but…if you're not freaked out or disgusted, I'd be willing to love you until you can find the person you're meant to spend your life with.

"Regardless of your answer, I want you to just keep this one thing in mind: what was taken away from you was your future as Shinichi, but what was given to you was a future as Conan. It might sound a little hypocritical coming from me, but it's better to focus on what you've gained than what you've lost. Think about what you can do with those extra ten years. Make something positive out of the situation. As for my proposition, you can take all the time you need making a decision."

The silence after that was broken by the clock tower beginning to strike six.

Both boys turned to look up.

"Kaito?" Conan mumbled as the third chime sounded.

"Hm?" The magician-thief didn't look. He didn't want to see what kind of face Shinichi was making as he turned him down. Kaito didn't want to see the disgusted, pitying, or even mocking look in those cerulean eyes.

"You shouldn't settle like that—saying that you'll love me until I find someone else. Where's your pride?" the detective prodigy scolded. "Can you really be satisfied with that kind of relationship? What's wrong with you? Don't you think you deserve someone who loves you for _you_ too?

"And another thing," the little sleuth was fuming by the time the clock struck five. "How can you say you'll just hand me over to someone else like that? You don't love me at all, do you? Not _really_. If you _really_ loved me, you'd fight for me, wouldn't you? I don't want to fall in love with someone who'd give up on me so easily. Now, do you love me or not, Kuroba Kaito?"

Kaito blinked, staring at the glaring gumshoe in wide-eyed surprise. He smiled. "I love you, Tantei-kun."

"Then you'll fight for me if such a time ever comes?"

"Tooth and nail," Kaito vowed.

"And you won't change your mind about being gay or leave me for someone who looks your age or get frustrated because I have a curfew or decide having our dates constantly interrupted by people dropping dead like flies around me is too troublesome or—"

"—Tantei-kun!" the magician cut him off when it got to be too ridiculous. "I swear to you."

"Then…" Conan licked his lips nervously. "I'll let myself fall in love with you too, Kaito." He closed his eyes, leaning in and placing a butterfly kiss on the younger teen's lips.

They pulled back and looked at each other with gauging expressions before breaking into twin grins and giggling softly.

"Oh god. I'm dating an eight year-old," Kaito laughed.

"Oh god. I'm dating a criminal." Conan rolled his eyes, still smiling.

"No one can prove anything, and, believe me, Hakuba's tried," the kaitou assured.

"I was talking about your pedophilia, not your kleptomania, but, now that you mention it…"

"Okay, Jailbait," the indigo-eyed teen grumbled, shifting Conan to his hip. "Let's go get some pizza and rent a movie."

"Is that your idea of a romantic first date?" the sarcastic little detective scoffed.

"Do you want me to change my mind about being madly in love with you?" Kaito glared, spewing empty threats.

"Pizza and a movie it is." Conan quickly changed his tune.

"We'll do romantic next time, my love," the magician whispered, gently nuzzling the blushing sleuth's ear.

"Un," the former Shinichi mumbled, beginning to think that this curse might be a blessing in disguise.

Sure, being eight had its disadvantages, and he and Kaito would most likely encounter issues with the age difference, but at least he wasn't the one who had to explain where he had been the last two years to Ran. At least he didn't have a crazy crime syndicate out for his head anymore.

He may have lost his shot at a future with Ran, but who was to say that a future with Kaito wouldn't be better?

…

v(Q-v-Q)v

Mikau: It's my new and improved owl. Unfortunately, that's the end of the main story. Sorry to disappoint all of those that wanted an epic. There may, however, be omake snippets in the future. In fact, I think I feel one coming on right now. Please feel free to send in suggestions of omakes that you would like written; I do take requests, and maybe something you send in will spark inspiration for a longer fic. Thank you very much for supporting me and sending in feedback thus far. Please drive home safely.


	4. Omake 1: The Better Deal

Mikau: Hey everybody. Good to see you again. Thanks to foreverandeveralone, LMeg9.20, DayDreaming0f y0u, and Aniki-xvi who reviewed. This is the first of the extra chapters; just a funny little scene with Shinichi and Conan. I hope you enjoy it. Next up is Hakuba stumbling upon Conan and Kaito's date as suggested by Aniki-xvi. Please send in ideas for additional chapters and scenes or situations you would like to see written. Also, comments, praise, and constructive criticism are always appreciated, if you have time. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd really like to do a chapter where Conan meets Kaito instead of Kid.

…

Omake One: The Better Deal

"I'm beginning to think that you got the better deal," Shinichi grumbled, handing Conan a spoon for his ice cream before taking a seat on the couch beside his other half.

"You wanted this," the smaller detective responded, a smug look on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, but while I'm still in the doghouse with Ran, you're getting to second base with Kaito. It's not fair; _I_ never got any as Conan." It was amusing to see the seemingly older of the two pouting like a child.

"We got enough." The bespectacled boy shrugged. "May I remind you of all the times she held us to her chest or the time we took a bath together or—"

"—I get it. I get it," Shinichi muttered, stealing the cherry off of Conan's sundae. "Still not fair."

"Kaito can tie cherry stems into bows," Conan remarked offhandedly, snatching Shinichi's cherry in retribution.

"So?" The taller brunette proceeded to tie his own stem into a bow with a little difficulty. "See. I can do it too."

"Kaito uses his tongue." The grade schooler tried not to smirk too much.

"You lucky son of a gun." Shinichi glared.

"You're not going to go insane with jealousy, come to loath me, and decide to scatter my brains all over the sidewalk, are you?" the smaller sleuth chuckled. "I'm starting to think that that dream was prophetic."

"You know, I'm considering it," the Heisei Holmes muttered ruefully. "Then I could steal your foxy boyfriend."

"Foxy is _exactly_ the right word," Conan smiled innocently.

Shinichi snorted. "You know, Ran's foxy too."

"Not like Kaito."

"At least mine has breasts." Shinichi mentally added a "Take that!"

"Kaito has a penchant for cross-dressing, and his feel every bit as real as Ran's."

The Detective of the East groaned. "Why, oh why didn't I notice how hott Kaito was before we got separated?"

Conan shrugged, taking a huge bite of green tea ice cream. "Your loss."

"Wanna trade?" There was a hopeful tone to the older detective's voice.

"Nope," the prodigy giggled. "I'm perfectly happy with what I've got."

"We were always so 'gloom and doom' when we were Conan. When did you get so chipper and optimistic?" Shinichi inquired, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"When Kaito told me he loved me and I realized that I got to spend the rest of my life with such a wonderful, amazing person."

The older brunette nodded, looking down and contemplating his ice cream. "Ran's wonderful and amazing too."

"She'll forgive you eventually," Conan assured his other half. "Just give her time to be sure that you're back for good this time."

"I know…it's just…waiting's hard, and you and your super athletic, flexible, dexterous boyfriend are not making my life any easier," the frustrated Shinichi grumbled. "So…tell me about his tongue again?"

"It's absolutely, _sinfully_ wicked," Conan started for the nth time.

…


	5. Omake 2: The Investigation

Mikau: Hello everyone. Thanks for coming back to read once more. Thanks as well to Eevee1118, DayDreaming0f y0u, and athieisademon who reviewed. Well, after twenty-six-ish tiring hours in transit, I have returned to the US. I'm on Spring Break right now, but soon I shall undertake my final term of college. I'd rather be back in Japan, honestly. If I could only figure out some way to make my family and friends move there with me. Please enjoy the chapter which is dedicated to Aniki-xvi.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would train an apprentice to take over in the event of my unfortunate, untimely demise. I always worry about authors of long-running series. I fear that something will happen to them, and then we'll never know.

…

Omake Two: The Investigation

If he hadn't seen it himself, he wouldn't have believed it. Kuroba Kaito and Edogawa Conan were _snogging_ in the middle of Beika City Park.

Well, not exactly the middle of it. Actually, they were far off of the beaten path, hidden by the surrounding foliage in such a way as to not be discovered by anyone who was doing anything short of tailing them…which Hakuba was.

He couldn't help it. He wasn't exactly a detective for the sake of justice. There was justice too, but Hakuba had first taken up the magnifying glass for his own curiosity. He'd wanted to understand people's motives.

That day, when he had seen Edogawa-kun having coffee with the Kaitou bloody Kid, he couldn't help but investigate.

The blonde had surreptitiously entered the café and taken a seat at a table on the opposite side of a low wall by Kuroba and Edogawa-kun's booth. He'd ordered milk tea and sipped it quietly while eavesdropping on his classmate's conversation.

"…obsession with your tongue," the up-and-coming gumshoe was saying.

"_What?"_ Hakuba frowned.

"Does he really?" Kaito chuckled, pulling his knee to his chest and wrapping his arms around it. "It's a very good little tongue. Always served _me_ well. I'm glad that it's bringing joy to others now too."

"Smart aleck," the grade schooler tsked. "I think he wants to try making out with you. Apparently things are going nowhere with Ran and he's getting antsy."

"Hmm. Really?" the magician hummed, seeming to like the idea.

"Yeah. I'm afraid he's going to jump you, if this goes on any longer," the younger brunette sighed, sounding slightly irritated with just a hint of amusement.

"And…you'd be angry if I made out with Kudo Shinichi?" Kuroba inquired tentatively.

"Of _course_." Hakuba couldn't see it, but the tone of Conan's voice said that the boy was glaring hard.

"What if we let you watch?" the imp tried.

The European detective mentally noted that Kuroba Kaito was a bad influence on small children. And apparently bisexual. That was more than Hakuba had ever wanted to know about his adversary.

"I'd rather just stick my _own_ tongue down your throat." The elementary school student shrugged nonchalantly.

Hakuba was too shocked to form complete thoughts.

"Have it your way. It's all the same to me," Kaito pouted. "Kinky's more fun, though."

"What do you mean 'it's all the same'?" Conan snapped. "You mean it makes no difference to you whether you screw around with him or me? Why'd you even pick me in the first place, then? Did you just feel sorry for me, Kaito?"

"Tantei-kun, that's not what I meant at all," the older of the two cooed softly, trying to smooth the miniature detective's ruffled feathers. "I meant that I don't care whether I make out with Kudo or not. You two aren't the same anymore, and you're the one I'm with. I chose _you_ that day because you needed me, but now you two are different, and _you're_ the one I love."

Hakuba Saguru's brain exploded.

He wanted to jump out from his hiding place and scream, "Edogawa-kun, don't be fooled! Don't you know who Kuroba really is? He's trying to lead you down the path of sin!"

He wanted to smack his classmate, call him a pervert, and mourn his loss of respect for the Kaitou Kid.

At the same time, the blonde was tempted to call his girlfriend and expose Kuroba, letting her see what the guy she was _still_ hung up on was really like.

"Let's go for a walk," Edogawa-kun chuckled. The way he said it made it sound like a euphuism for something dirty.

"'Kay," the taller of the two easily agreed, a cheerful grin spreading across his face.

Saguru had followed them as they left the shop and headed towards the park, Edogawa-kun situated on Kaito's hip like a toddler.

They held their heads close together, whispering and chuckling as they strolled leisurely. They'd eventually arrived at the park and meandered their way to the small clearing deep in the brush.

And then Conan had kissed Kaito, causing the golden-eyed boy to blush. The snogging began, and it was very much like a car wreck in the fact that Hakuba couldn't seem to tear his eyes away.

Suddenly it was very warm out for the middle of fall, and the peeping Tom decided to head home before he witnessed anything even more disturbing.

000

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not Kid," Kuroba sighed as if he couldn't believe that they were going to have this conversation _again_.

"Actually, that's not what I called you up here to discuss." Hakuba cleared his throat.

"Oh?" The magician blinked. "Good…. Then…why are we meeting on the roof? You're not going to confess to me, are you?"

"N-no!" This caused the blonde's face to turn a very pretty shade of sakura-blossom-pink.

"Then…is it about Aoko?" Kaito was running out of viable topics of conversation.

"No."

"Then…?" The brunette's patience was wearing thin as he glanced down at his watch. "I've got a date in forty minutes, if you don't mind."

"With Edogawa-kun," the sleuth stated.

"Excuse me?" Kaito blinked.

Hakuba finally looked up and glared at his rival. "Kuroba, I saw the two of you yesterday. Are you absolutely insane? He's a child! Do you know how illegal it is to do….to do…._t-those_ sorts of things with a child? It's sick!"

"He's not a child," the magician snapped. "I know what it looks like, but he's not a kid. You've met him, haven't you? You know what he's like. I know it seems to go against logic and the laws of nature and all that, but…he's not a child. He's old enough to make his own decisions, and…we're in love." Kaito shrugged, brushing past the detective and heading for the stairwell.

The brunette paused halfway, turning to glance back over his shoulder. He smiled.

"Thanks for looking out for him, though, Hakuba. You're a decent guy. Let me know if you ever need any Aoko advice."

The detective blinked, not really sure what had just happened. More investigation would be necessary.

…

( ^)~o 8 O 0

Mikau: It's Bubble Blowing Kara. A huuuuuge thank you to Aniki-xvi who requested "A date where they get caught by Hakuba and he starts questioning their sanity." If you too have requests, please send them in. Otherwise, I fear there won't be much more in the way of updates for this story. Unfortunately, I have no real future plans for it. Thanks so much for reading! Please send in your constructive criticism/praise if you have the time.


	6. Omake 3: Meddling Detectives

Mikau: Hello everyone. It's been a while! Thanks for dropping by to read once again. This chapter is dedicated to DayDreaming0f y0u who thought it would be better if Hakuba had tried to save Conan from Kaito. Thanks to Aniki-xvi, Eevee1118, athieisademon, LMeg9.20, and DayDreaming0f y0u who reviewed. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If my brother owned it, all the characters would be drawn in the stick figure style, the Detective Boys would be eradicated, and the Black Syndicate would have a legitimate name like "The Samurai Pizza Cats" (which we do not own).

…

Omake Three: Meddling Detectives

There was a high school student waiting for Conan when Teitan let out for the day.

This wasn't abnormal; Ran often met him by the gate so that they could walk home together, and Kaito would sometimes surprise him by coming to pick him up. However, it was neither Ran nor Kaito, but Hakuba Saguru standing at the entrance to the grade school.

"If I might have a moment of your time Edogawa-kun, there is something of great importance that I would like to discuss with you," the English gentleman called out to him as the pocket-sized sleuth attempted to sneak away without being noticed.

"What would you need to talk about with me, Hakuba-niisan?" The not-child put on his best cavity-inducing grin.

"It's about your boyfriend," the Brit responded dryly, not appreciating the innocent act. "I saw you two together the other day, and, I must say, I am concerned for your well-being."

The former Kudo Shinichi frowned, dropping all pretense of childishness. "How about we take this somewhere else? I know a good café close by where people mind their own business."

"Wherever you feel most comfortable." The blonde nodded and motioned for the smaller investigator to lead the way.

There was silence between the two until they reached a small coffee shop called Christie's.

"Now, what exactly did you want with my boyfriend and myself, Detective Hakuba?" Conan asked with a glare once the orders for their tea and coffee were in.

"As I stated before," the taller of the two began. "I happened to catch sight of you and your significant other on a date, and your behavior concerned me. Kuroba insists that you are mature enough to make your own decisions, and I agree that you are…unlike other children your age. If you two wish to be in a relationship, I have no right to stop you. I only want to make sure that you are making an informed decision. You do know whom you are dating, correct?"

Conan stared at the blonde like the man was a certifiable loon. "Of course. I'm dating Kuroba Kaito."

Hakuba gave a tired sigh. "Forgive me. I meant, you do know who your boyfriend is suspected of being, don't you?"

"Kaito is Kaito," the young boy stated firmly. "Your suspicions have been disproven every time, and you have no proof."

"Yes, but—"

"—No. No buts." Conan fiercely defended the man that he loved. "Frankly, I don't care. It wouldn't change the way I feel about him, even if he were Kid. I'd still love him."

"How can you say that? You're a detective, aren't you?" Saguru was positively floored by the young boy's reply.

"Unlike you, I don't chase Kid to catch him. I chase him simply for the chase itself. He provides a good deal of mental stimulation, and it's not like he does any real harm.

"You know, I might even love Kaito more, if he were Kid. It would definitely make things more interesting in bed. We could role-play."

The blonde nearly spit his tea out in the little detective's face. "Edogawa-kun, I'm afraid I must insist that you break things off with Kuroba this instant. He's clearly a bad influence, and I will not tolerate any further corruption of your young mind. Children shouldn't even know about such sordid things!"

At this, Conan only chuckled darkly. "If preservation of innocence is what you're concerned about, I think you're focusing on the wrong half of this couple. Kaito is the one you should be worried about."

"W-What do you mean?" Hakuba did a double-take. A perverted grin like that did not belong on the face of a child.

"Let's just say that I have plans for Kaito once I reach puberty, but, until then, I've got plenty of fun games to keep us both satisfied, if you know what I mean." The little instigator smirked, taking pleasure in freaking the other detective out.

Hakuba had no words with which to respond.

000

The following day, Kaito sighed as he and his classmate climbed the stairs to the roof. "You know, you could at least tell me what this is about. I mean, I have my suspicions that you're either going to accuse me of being a thief or a pedophile, so—"

"—Kuroba, it's about your boyfriend. I have some theories, but none of them make any sense. I think that he's an incubus."

The brunette blinked. "Hakuba, are you feeling okay?"

"No! I am most certainly not feeling okay! Just yesterday, a little child went into minute detail about how he wanted to jump your bones! He's obviously the devil incarnate! Or possessed or something! Kuroba, your boyfriend is evil, and I suggest that you break up with him now for your own safety!"

Kaito blinked again. A third time. "You think my boyfriend is evil? Just because he wants to screw like rabbits with me?"

"No. Because he's supposed to be eight, but he seems to have more experience sexually than I do!"

"Everyone has more experience sexually than you do," the magician snickered. "But, that's good to know. About Shin-chan, I mean."

Hakuba simply gawked at his almost-friend.

Kaito sighed. "Okay, calm down. Geez. You look like you're about to have a heart attack or something. Look, I'll let you in on a secret, so stop freaking out already.

"Conan's not like regular kids his age. Think of him as an eighteen year-old trapped in the body of an eight year-old; things should make more sense like that."

The detective furrowed his brow and contemplated the shorter teen's words.

"Better?" the magician chuckled.

"Yes and no," Saguru replied. "If it were true, things make more sense, yes, but…" The gentleman blushed a dark shade of crimson. "You see, every time I look at you, I remember all of the dirty things Edogawa-kun said he was going to do to you, and I get the most awkward images in my head. He was very descriptive. The child has a large vocabulary."

Kaito smirked. "Hakuba, I've got to go."

"Go?" The Brit blinked. "Where?"

"To see my boyfriend," the brunette sang, a mischievous lilt to his voice. "I'd like to hear what he told you personally. Unless you want to do a dramatic retelling?"

Hakuba's cheeks flushed yet again. "I-I think I'll pass. You two have fun."

He mentally made a note to never again meddle in the detective and thief's affaires. As far as he was concerned, the two weirdoes deserved each other—a match made in heaven.

…

o(\_/)o

Mikau: Yes, I know I'm recycling Kara throwing a fit/alien from the new Come to Taunt Me chapter, but…I lack creativity recently. Next I'm going to try to work on Kaito trying to fix Shinichi's love life as requested by athieisademon. Thanks for reading!


	7. Omake 4: Parfaits

Mikau: Hi everyone! Thanks for coming back to read omake number four. It's not exactly the chapter I promised you but more of a setup for awkward KaiShin situations and the resolution of the ShinRan problem. It's also not edited as thoroughly as it should be because I wanted to hurry and get it up, since you've all been waiting far too long already. I apologize in advance for any mistakes. I'm also sorry it took me so long to get this up. I've been busy and a little down lately, but I'll try to get the next chapter written and up soon. I think the next one will be the last, unless you guys have any more omake scenes you want written. Thanks so much to athieisademon, LMeg9.20, aspiderlife, Aniki-xvi, starsinjars, and DayDreaming0f y0u who reviewed. You guys really keep me going, and I'm really grateful for all the feedback. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd put Heiji in more. I love listening to him talk. (I think it's mostly because I'm homesick for Kansai-ben.) Before I studied abroad, I could go either way with Heiji appearances. His episodes are almost always interesting, but I wasn't really a big fan. Now I long to hear his voice (read as: Osaka-ben).

….

Omake Four: Parfaits and Potions

"Favor number four: take me shopping today at noon," Akako demanded over the phone one Saturday.

Shinichi sighed. "Are you serious?"

"Kudo-kun, I'm always serious," the witch retorted with a delicate sniff.

"And what happens if I say 'no'?" the detective grumbled, sitting up in bed and glancing at his alarm clock.

8:13 AM.

"You mean if you break the terms of our agreement? I suppose I could send my good friend Lucifer over to have a chat with you about that," Akako replied innocently.

"Where are we meeting?" the former Edogawa Conan groaned.

000

"What do you think of this one?" The redhead did a little twirl, showing off the dress from all angles. "It doesn't make me look fat, does it?"

The great detective sighed for the nth time that day. "Akako-san, you're as skinny as a pole with giant breasts, so you're never gonna look fat. It's impossible. The dress is just as great as the fifteen others that you've tried on, so just buy them all, and let's go home already!"

Her eyebrow twitched.

Just who did he think he was, talking to her like that?

She sniffed daintily (ladies did not snort) and turned to give him a piece of her mind. But then she saw how miserable the other teen looked and decided to give him a free pass—she'd turn him into a newt next time.

"Let's get some lunch; I saw a nice little café two streets over the other day, and I want to try their fruit parfait. You're paying, of course." She put the dresses back on the rack and led the way to the restaurant.

Shinichi followed reluctantly behind.

They were silent as they walked and didn't bother making chitchat as they glanced over the menu and waited for their orders to arrive.

The only thing that Shinichi said was, "Try to pick something less than a thousand yen; I'm a little low on funds this week."

The waiter brought the food to the table, and Shinichi raised an eyebrow as he set down a salad and mineral water in front of the witch.

"Weren't you going to get a fruit parfait? That rabbit food isn't much of a meal. Don't worry about the price, and get what you want," he urged.

"I don't want to get fat," Akako mumbled, starting on her salad. "Do you know how many calories are in that parfait?"

The brunette rolled his eyes, motioning for the waiter. "One fruit parfait, please." He turned back to his companion. "Akako-san, you're gorgeous. One fruit parfait isn't going to make you fat…. It's not like beauty matters much, anyway."

The fruit parfait arrived, and the witch and detective went back to eating in silence.

"Thank you," the redhead whispered, taking a bite of the elaborate culinary masterpiece. "You seem moody today. Care to talk about it? …Not that I care; don't get the wrong idea."

"I'm always in a bad mood lately," Shinichi snorted, stabbing his food with his chopsticks. "Ever since I became me again. Nothing's gone the way I thought it would. Ran's still mad at me, and while I'm in the doghouse, Conan's scoring big time with Kaito. Dammit. I'm worse off than I was before, and now I have to deal with you and your stupid favors on top of everything else. It just doesn't seem fair; I'm the one paying the price, but I've got nothing to show for it."

Akako shifted uncomfortably in her chair, eyes cast down at her salad. "I'm not _that_ bad, you know." Forget the newt idea; she was going to turn the boy into a punching bag. He'd be more useful that way…but ladies didn't use punching bags. She'd get all sweaty. Ladies did not sweat.

"You are to me," the Detective of the East grunted, taking another stab at his food. "Nothing but temper tantrums, whining, and a bad attitude."

"The same could be said about you," Akako retorted, masking her hurt behind annoyance. "Someone once told me that even though I have a cold, prickly exterior, deep inside of me there's a beautiful gem."

"Who told you that nonsense?" Shinichi laughed.

"Kai…Kuroba-kun did," she mumbled, taking another bite of her parfait.

"Kaito _would_ say that," the detective replied somberly. "I wish I would have noticed how great he was before the rugrat got to him."

"I wish I had never split you and Edogawa-kun up," the witch sighed bitterly. "I actually had a chance with him before…right after Nakamori-san and Hakuba-kun started dating."

"You like Kaito?" Shinichi blinked.

"Why do you think I offered to help you in the first place?" Akako spit. "I did it because I thought it would make him happy. I thought he'd thank me, and then once you went home to your girlfriend, I'd be there to comfort him. I don't do things for other people, Kudo-kun. This time, things just happened to backfire spectacularly."

"Yeah, a little," the detective sighed. "Sorry."

"For what?" Akako blinked, looking up from her plate.

"For what I said earlier. All this time I'd been thinking that you were an obnoxious jerk, but it's just because you're in love, isn't it?" He smiled softly at the girl across the table, thinking that he had come to understand her a little better. "Love brings out the worst in us sometimes."

"I…suppose you're right," Akako chuckled awkwardly, feeling that it wouldn't be appropriate to tell him the truth.

I mean, how does one say, "No, I really _am_ a terrible, horrible, selfish witch, even when I'm not in love," after being told "You're not as bad as I thought"?

Shinichi took a deep breath, and a look of determination came over his face. "That's it. I've got to do something about Ran. I love her, and deep down I know that she loves me too, so we're going to be together, dammit. I don't care if I have to play dirty; this is our happiness we're talking about!"

Akako blinked. Somewhere along the line, she had lost the flow of conversation.

"Akako-san, can you make me a love potion or an aphrodisiac or something?" Shinichi looked her right in the eye, resolve etched firmly into his face.

Akako blinked. "Y-Yes, but—"

"—Great! Thank you so much, Akako-san! What do I owe you?"

How could she say no to that frighteningly enthusiastic face? How could she tell him that love potions never produced the desired results?

Somehow, based on the look he was giving her, she knew Shinichi wouldn't listen, even if she tried to tell him.

"Let's just say that this one is free of charge," she sighed.

The boy had enough problems as is.

….

/\

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Mikau: So, I made this "ice cream cone" emot, but the formatting on ff dot net is funny, so it didn't look right. Now it's a spilt ice cream cone on the sidewalk. Maybe. Anyway, I was looking back at the stuff I had written for Shaman King when I was fifteen/sixteen (I'm twenty-two now, if you'd like to do the math), and I wasn't as horrified by my style/grammar as I thought I would be. My OC Ivy was a Mary Sue, though. Very OP, and everyone loved her. People got really angry because my "Mary Sue fic" got a ton of rave reviews. It was a good story, though. Lots of drama and romance and character development. I wish people would have looked past the OC and looked at my writing before flaming because the writing was solid. I remember I had this one flamer D. I used to like to correct his/her grammar. When someone else flamed me, D got really upset, saying that he/she was the only one who could flame me. I was always really fond of D, and it cracked me up to learn that my flamer was rather possessive/protective of me. There was so much drama back in the day. Thanks for reading! Have a great day everyone!


	8. Omake 5: and Potions

Mikau: Hey guys! Welcome to the final chapter of omakes. As you can see, I kind of changed the chapter titles after publishing. Omake four is now Parfaits… and five is …and Potions, since they're kind of a part one and two kind of thing. This one is dedicated to athieisademon (thanks for reviewing, by the way), even though this turned out to be nothing whatsoever like her suggestion. Warnings for antics under the influence of love potions, both KaiShin and KaiCo. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, the canon couples would be different. My friend once asked me why I never wrote fics with "canon" couples, and I told her: "Because canon sucks. It's all childhood friend romances that just happen. They don't develop! There's no reason for them to be together—they just are. Aoyama-sensei, great as he may be, is no romance writer." How many people really find their soulmate when they're five? Not many, and yet all of the canon couples are childhood friends. Aoko and Kaito are really the only ones I support since there's actual conflict and plot and love rivals there. That's an acceptable childhood friend romance. Ran and Shinichi? No. Heiji and Kazuha is so-so. The only canon romance that truly works for me is Makoto and Sonoko, oddly enough. They're a little quirky, but they're a legitimate couple. The older generation romances are fine, though. The Kudos are solid, the Kurobas were good, and Mouri's marriage is…they're made for each other. I don't understand why the romance in the younger generation is so…lacking. Am I right?

….

Omake Five: …and Potions

Shinichi had invited Ran over to "talk" about their relationship that next Saturday evening.

You can read "talk" as "slip the powerful love potion he had gotten from Akako into Ran's drink and let their raging teenage hormones work out their relationship issues for them."

That was the plan anyway.

He had prepared snacks and scented candles and sparkling grape juice spiked with the witch's concoction, leaving the setup downstairs while he went to search the hall closet for…ahem…supplies.

Unbeknownst to Kudo Shinichi, Conan and Kaito had planned a clandestine meeting at his house that day. They both had keys for that express purpose since they had nowhere else to go. It wasn't like they could make out on the Mouri Detective Agency's couch, and Kaito's house wouldn't work when his mother was at home.

Somehow, Kaito doubted that Chikage would buy the "You see, I'm not really a pedophile because he used to be Kudo Shinichi—who's my age, by the way—before he was turned into a grade schooler by this weird drug that a secret organization force-fed him. But then he got separated from Kudo by this magic spell cast by a witch who's my classmate. So, really, he actually is, like, two, but his mind is that of an adult."

While the detective was upstairs, the magician let himself in and discovered the romantic scene laid out in the living room.

Kaito chuckled, taking a seat on the couch and picking up a glass. "Tantei-kun, you're not allowed to seduce me until you reach puberty! No matter how romantic you are, you're not getting any while you're in grade school; we talked about this," he called out to his little love.

He took a sip of the grape juice laced with love potion and blinked. It was _really_ good.

Suddenly, he felt his reservations melting away. "Okay, maybe just a little, but just a teensy, tiny bit!"

Another sip, and Kaito was feeling rather warm. _"This isn't _real_ champagne, is it?"_

He sniffed the contents of his glass and downed the rest. No, it was definitely grape juice.

"Kaito? What are you doing here?" Shinichi gasped, quickly hiding the embarrassing items in his hands behind his back.

"Oh, Meitantei. I had a date with…" the younger brunette started to respond as he turned to look at his host.

The glass dropped from Kaito's hand when he saw the other teen.

"Shinichi," he breathed, voice trembling with overwhelming need.

He'd never felt this way in his entire life. He'd thought himself in love before, but no. His past infatuations were nothing compared to this.

He was on his feet and across the room in seconds, licking the back of the older boy's throat with gusto before Shinichi even saw it coming.

They fell to the ground with the bigger teen pinned beneath the thief's slender, sinewy body.

Kaito held his love down, eagerly grinding their hips together. His entire body was on fire. He needed release, friction, Shinichi to set him free from the intense pain.

"Shinichi," Kaito begged when he pulled back to free the detective from his shirt. God, it hurt, and he knew that there was only one way to make it stop. "Take me. Please, Shinichi."

"Whoa. Kaito, stop!" Shinichi shrieked, coming out of the daze Kaito had brought on with his heated kisses. Shinichi had never been kissed like _that_ before. He was suddenly incredibly jealous of the midget.

"I can't," the smaller boy whimpered. "Shin-chan, it hurts. It hurts. You have to make the pain stop." Kaito began to unbutton his own shirt and unzip his pants. "It's so hot."

When the younger boy reached for Shinichi's zipper, the detective rolled them over and pinned Kaito's arms. "Dammit. You drank the potion, didn't you?"

"Shinichi," Kaito moaned, tears streaming down his cherry red face. His pupils were the size of buttons, and his gaze was unfocused. His body really was burning up. "Please, make it s-stop."

Akako had mentioned that the potion might have some undesirable side-effects, but Shinichi had never imaged that it would make the recipient ill like this.

"Sh-Shin-ichi…" Kaito choked on a sob. "Hurry up and take me and make it stop. Shinichi…Shinichi…"

He had to call Akako and figure out a way to break the spell or mitigate the potions effect or something before Kaito overheated.

Conan and Ran, however, picked that moment to let themselves in.

The first thing they heard was Kaito's weak cries of, "Shinichi…it hurts. Stop it. Make it stop."

They stepped into the living room to find Shinichi pinning a rather ill-looking Kaito to the floor. The foil packets scattered around them and Kaito's disheveled clothing were also powerful evidence against the detective.

"Get off of him!" Conan roared, pouncing like a lion cub on his other half, clawing and biting and kicking and screaming.

"This isn't what it looks like!" Shinichi yelled, struggling to stand up and detach the enraged mini-sleuth from his face.

"You're trying to steal my boyfriend because things aren't going anywhere between you and Ran!" Conan hissed as he was tossed to the floor next to the trembling Kaito.

"It h-hurts…" the magician whimpered, drawing his boyfriend's attention.

"You _drugged_ him!" the little detective shouted indignantly. "You BASTARD! You tried to rape him, you sick, twisted, depraved…uh! I don't know enough bad words to even tell you what kind of monster you are! I'm going to kill you!"

Ran scooped up her enraged charge, holding him at bay while she knelt down to inspect Kaito.

"Shh…" she cooed softly as she gently brushed his bangs back and put a hand to his forehead. She looked up neutrally at her childhood friend. "Shinichi, take him upstairs and put him in bed while I get a cold compress."

"R-Right," Shinichi stuttered, knowing that he was in the doghouse. He carefully picked up the magician and did as his crush had said.

"Conan-kun, you go with him and make sure he doesn't do anything more to Kaito-san, okay?" Ran made sure that her little brother wouldn't try to attack again before she let him go.

000

"Care to explain, Shinichi?" the karate champ asked levelly as she carefully dabbed at Kaito's face. "Was he the reason you were always away on a case?"

"Ran, no! I really was away on a case!" Shinichi prayed that she would believe him.

"He really was," Conan added. "Kaito's mine!"

"Today was just a misunderstanding. You see, this witch, Akako, gave me what was supposed to be a love potion." Shinichi blushed profusely, looking away. "I was going to use it on you, Ran, but I didn't know it would do this. Please believe me…I just wanted you to forgive me so that we could be together."

Conan was the first to reply. "You got a love potion from Akako? Then she should have the antidote!" The little sleuth dug out his phone and hurriedly searched his phonebook for the number. While it rung, Conan thought to say, "And how did _Kaito_ end up like this when you were hoping to use it on Ran-neechan?"

"I left it sitting out. He must have drunk it by accident…. It was kind of mixed into the grape juice on the coffee table downstairs." Shinichi hung his head in shame.

"Ah, Akako-san! It's Conan. Sorry to bother you, but Kaito accidentally drank that love potion that you gave to the idiot, and we need the antidote, right away! …What do you mean there's no antidote? …Oh…oooooh." Conan gulped. "W-Would…using your m-mouth work? …G-Good. Okay. Thanks. B-Bye."

The little brunette put the phone back in his pocket and blushed. "I'll take care of Kaito, so you two go downstairs or for a walk or something. Somewhere far, far away, out of hearing distance."

"Why, Conan-kun? What did that woman on the phone say?" Ran blinked innocently at what she thought was a child.

Conan's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of scarlet. "She said that I have to kiss him, and I don't want you two to see," the not-child told a white lie.

Shinichi (who had guessed at what Conan _really_ had to do to put Kaito out of his misery)'s face went as red as Conan's. "Let's go for a walk and talk about this, Ran."

"No! Conan-kun's too young to be kissing—let alone kissing men! Just what is wrong with you, Shinichi! He's your cousin, isn't he? _You_ kiss Kaito-san! O-Or _I_ could do it," she yelled a little softer. "I will not let my little brother lose his innocence because of your stupidity, Shinichi, even if he does have a little boyhood crush on Kaito-san!"

If only she knew.

"Ran, don't worry about it. You don't even really understand what's going on. Let's just give them some privacy," Shinichi pleaded, taking her hand and pulling her towards the door.

"No. Not until you explain it to me!" Ran broke his hold on her and stood her ground.

"Just tell her the truth," Conan urged with a sigh. "You've lied enough. It's time to be honest. You can't be together if there are lies between you."

"She'll think I'm a nutcase!" Shinichi wailed.

"Kaito and I will back up your story. Tell her the truth. All of it."

"Okay," Shinichi sighed, taking his beloved's hand and promising to tell her everything downstairs.

Conan watched them go, and then turned his gaze to his extremely uncomfortable boyfriend. He eyed the pants zipper and licked his lips nervously.

000

It took ten minutes for Shinichi to explain nearly everything that had happened since Tropical Land. It took another twenty for Ran to believe him.

"I'm sorry. I know it's not enough, but…I just want you to know that I _am_ sorry. I did it to protect you…because…I love you, Ran," Shinichi mumbled to his feet. "I get so jealous when you talk about other men and when I see them looking at you. God, I sound so cheesy, but…I love you. I want you to be mine. I want to marry you and have kids and get old and be with you forever…. I know it was wrong to lie, but…I didn't know what else to do. I'm just a desperate fool."

It was quiet for a long time, the silence only broken by the great detective's intermittent sighs.

Then Ran spoke: "Yes, yes you are, but…if you really were Conan…you already know how much I love you too."

"Ran…" Shinichi breathed, daring to look up at the woman he loved.

"…I'm still mad at you, though," she added.

Shinichi sighed, looking back down at his feet.

"…however…I'll probably get over it eventually, if you do better in the future." She smiled softly, letting him know that she'd give him some leeway but also that he was still on a short chain.

"I'll be the best boyfriend ever!" he promised with enthusiasm. "I swear, Ran. I swear to you that I'll do better!"

"Then…I'll let you take me on a date," she replied like it was the highest honor.

"Thank you! Thank you, Ran! You won't regret this!" Shinichi swore, feeling like he could tackle the entire Black Organization single-handedly.

"So…I have one question," Ran said after a few minutes of chitchat had passed.

"Shoot," Shinichi chuckled, wrapping his arm around the girl of his dreams.

"If Conan-kun is Shinichi too, and Conan-kun is dating Kaito-san…does that mean that you're gay?" Ran asked bluntly.

Shinichi nearly fell off of the couch. "No!" Sure Kaito had a nice body, and that kiss had been like dynamite going off in his mouth, but…he would never admit that to his girlfriend. "No way! I only have eyes for you!"

Ran giggled, patting him on the head. "Okay. One more question. Do you know if Conan-kun and Kaito-san are…you know…are they…do they…?" She looked up at him, a pained expression covering her face.

Shinichi blinked. "Do they…? What? Make out like animals? Yes. They're all over each other like lobsters in a fish tank whenever they get the opportunity. Sometimes I wonder if they even breathe."

Ran blushed. "I meant…do they…are they…physically intimate?"

"Oh." The great Heisei Holmes's cheeks turned a fetching color of raspberry as well. "I…no….. I don't think so, at least. The midget would have rubbed it in my face if he and Kaito had…you know."

The private eye's daughter cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably. "Well…I think it's been long enough. We should probably go check on them."

"Y-Yeah," Shinichi gulped, hoping that they were done curing Kaito by now.

It had been almost an hour, after all.

Ran and Shinichi crept up the stairs, occasionally stopping to listen for moans or gasps or any other indication that the couple hadn't quite finished yet, but there was only silence.

Shinichi slowly pushed his bedroom door open a crack and peeked in first, making sure the coast was clear. He smiled. "Look, Ran," he whispered so as not to disturb the slumbering duo.

Ran looked at Conan curled up on Kaito's chest and giggled. "They're adorable."

As if sensing the presence of an audience to his alone time with his boyfriend, Kaito rolled over onto his side so that his back was to the door and his Tantei-kun wasn't visible. He put a hand to the back of Conan's head and wrapped the one around the smaller boy's waist a little tighter as he turned.

Ran cooed. "They're the cutest couple."

"We could do that too, you know," Shinichi suggested, more than a little jealous that his other half was getting more action.

"Pervert," Ran snorted, whacking her boyfriend upside the head.

"Ow!" Shinichi shouted before he could stop himself.

"Shut up," Conan hissed, snuggling so close to Kaito that particles of light couldn't even pass between them.

"We're trying to sleep," Kaito added groggily, giving his teddy bear a little squeeze and a kiss on the top of the head.

Ran's inner fangirl squeed.

Shinichi sighed. "Why does the gay couple with a ten-year age difference have an easier time of it than the childhood friends couple that was destined to be together since birth?"

"Because _we're_ the ones that were meant to be together," Conan whispered, giving his beloved a little peck on the jaw.

"Mmhm," Kaito mumbled, resting his head against his little love's and slowly drifting off to sleep.

Ran cooed.

Shinichi sighed.

Why? Why, oh, why hadn't he noticed how wonderful Kaito was sooner?

…...

v (^o^) v

Mikau: Victory/peace signs because I've finished another one. The End! For real this time. With this chapter, we're going to be closing up shop, but for those wondering when I'll next write KaiShin (since I seem to be working mostly on putting out HakuKai for this site since there's not enough), I'm currently musing over a story where Shinichi helps Kaito raise a baby that he inherited from Aoko and Hakuba. Thoughts? That's still in the works, but I hope you liked this story. It was a blast to write. Feel free to leave feedback on your way out, if you have the time/inspiration. I'm curious to know what you thought about the series as a whole along with this chapter. Well, that's all for now, folks. Hope to see you in the future as well. Take care.


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